Federal Background Investigator Salary in Ridgeway, WV
How much does a Federal Background Investigator make in Ridgeway, WV?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Federal Background Investigator in Ridgeway, WV is $52,968 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $25.
However, a Federal Background Investigator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $61,340
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $48,120 to $57,351
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $43,706
10%$43,706
50% (Median)$52,968
90%$61,340
Federal Background Investigator Salaries by Percentile
Key Factors That Influence Federal Background Investigator Salaries
A Federal Background Investigator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, skills
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
Top Paying Cities for Federal Background Investigators
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $71,700
San Francisco: $70,915
Oakland: $69,420
San Jose, CA$71,700
San Francisco, CA$70,915
Oakland, CA$69,420
New York, NY$65,452
Paramus, NJ$64,656
Queens Village, NY$64,653
Passaic, NJ$64,599
Bergenfield, NJ$64,594
Stamford, CT$64,469
Huntington, NY$64,446
Newark, NJ$64,025
Bridgeport, CT$63,905
Vallejo, CA$63,792
New Brunswick, NJ$63,770
Petaluma, CA$63,736
Middlesex, NJ$63,628
Somerset, NJ$63,588
Santa Cruz, CA$63,514
Boston, MA$63,167
Monterey, CA$62,968
Seattle, WA$62,837
Santa Rosa, CA$62,826
Los Angeles, CA$62,809
Juneau, AK$62,661
Washington, DC$62,599
Orange, CA$62,396
Santa Ana, CA$62,246
Long Beach, CA$62,189
Anaheim, CA$62,178
Anchorage, AK$62,150
Santa Maria, CA$61,979
Everett, WA$61,968
Danbury, CT$61,768
Bremerton, WA$61,689
Tacoma, WA$61,484
New Suffolk, NY$61,483
Sacramento, CA$61,467
Santa Barbara, CA$61,405
Trenton, NJ$61,342
San Diego, CA$61,342
Brockton, MA$61,280
Fairbanks, AK$61,141
Lompoc, CA$60,996
Lowell, MA$60,949
Ventura, CA$60,939
Nashua, NH$60,927
Stockton, CA$60,922
Modesto, CA$60,507
Poughkeepsie, NY$60,382
Olympia, WA$60,274
Kennewick, WA$60,274
New Haven, CT$60,251
Lawrence, MA$60,046
Hartford, CT$59,989
Riverside, CA$59,978
New Bedford, MA$59,921
Richland, WA$59,921
Bakersfield, CA$59,842
San Bernardino, CA$59,819
New Britain, CT$59,813
Atlantic City, NJ$59,813
New London, CT$59,790
Norwich, CT$59,773
Portsmouth, NH$59,762
Boulder, CO$59,641
Portland, OR$59,563
Worcester, MA$59,557
Minneapolis, MN$59,381
Philadelphia, PA$59,302
Honolulu, HI$59,114
Saint Paul, MN$59,087
Vineland, NJ$59,074
Providence, RI$58,909
Chicago, IL$58,744
Bellingham, WA$58,676
Springfield, MA$58,631
Baltimore, MD$58,614
Chico, CA$58,472
Pittsfield, MA$58,318
Manchester, NH$58,210
Spokane, WA$57,960
Denver, CO$57,954
Albany, NY$57,687
Troy, NY$57,664
Nassau, NY$57,604
Schenectady, NY$57,545
Wilmington, DE$57,500
Burlington, VT$57,420
Salem, OR$57,397
Portland, ME$57,221
Yakima, WA$57,164
Rochester, MN$56,988
Reno, NV$56,959
Fresno, CA$56,959
Milwaukee, WI$56,908
Detroit, MI$56,851
Ann Arbor, MI$56,842
Allentown, PA$56,834
Colorado Springs, CO$56,738
Syracuse, NY$56,709
Carson City, NV$56,709
Houston, TX$56,630
Eugene, OR$56,601
Gary, IN$56,533
Springfield, OR$56,488
Bismarck, ND$56,476
Galveston, TX$56,437
Medford, OR$56,351
Fort Collins, CO$56,329
Concord, NH$56,300
Austin, TX$56,283
Mesa, AZ$56,164
Reading, PA$56,158
Phoenix, AZ$56,152
Dallas, TX$56,135
Saint Cloud, MN$56,081
Madison, WI$56,004
Utica, NY$55,851
Rochester, NY$55,760
Des Moines, IA$55,754
Raleigh, NC$55,749
Atlanta, GA$55,663
Battle Creek, MI$55,646
Salt Lake City, UT$55,629
Lancaster, PA$55,544
Harrisburg, PA$55,464
Kansas City, MO$55,408
Champaign, IL$55,396
Kansas City, KS$55,396
Fort Worth, TX$55,391
Columbus, OH$55,381
Boca Raton, FL$55,368
Pittsburgh, PA$55,345
Richmond, VA$55,322
Indianapolis, IN$55,311
Cleveland, OH$55,305
Las Vegas, NV$55,237
Cincinnati, OH$55,237
Petersburg, VA$55,152
Huntsville, AL$55,067
Lansing, MI$55,028
Lebanon, PA$55,021
Pueblo, CO$55,015
Appleton, WI$54,998
Buffalo, NY$54,976
Dayton, OH$54,959
Racine, WI$54,947
Charlotte, NC$54,941
Saint Louis, MO$54,924
York, PA$54,890
Elkhart, IN$54,890
Gastonia, NC$54,880
Billings, MT$54,866
Beaumont, TX$54,851
Lorain, OH$54,839
Benton Harbor, MI$54,828
Toledo, OH$54,816
Binghamton, NY$54,788
Rock Hill, SC$54,782
Rockford, IL$54,754
Springfield, IL$54,731
Elyria, OH$54,725
Fargo, ND$54,725
Flagstaff, AZ$54,686
Fort Lauderdale, FL$54,652
Duluth, MN$54,617
Miami, FL$54,617
Cheyenne, WY$54,578
Grand Forks, ND$54,578
Bangor, ME$54,453
Cedar Rapids, IA$54,390
Durham, NC$54,366
Louisville, KY$54,362
Grand Rapids, MI$54,350
Hialeah, FL$54,345
Casper, WY$54,265
Scranton, PA$54,197
New Orleans, LA$54,180
Virginia Beach, VA$54,174
Akron, OH$54,146
Peoria, IL$54,072
Sarasota, FL$54,060
Nashville, TN$54,021
Omaha, NE$54,021
Green Bay, WI$54,021
Baton Rouge, LA$53,992
Charleston, SC$53,981
Jamestown, NY$53,952
Davenport, IA$53,952
Tucson, AZ$53,924
Saint Petersburg, FL$53,890
Tampa, FL$53,878
Evansville, IN$53,844
Port Arthur, TX$53,844
Bradenton, FL$53,822
Santa Fe, NM$53,719
Orlando, FL$53,617
Clearwater, FL$53,600
Canton, OH$53,481
La Crosse, WI$53,481
Albuquerque, NM$53,446
Newport News, VA$53,441
High Point, NC$53,424
Ogden, UT$53,401
Corpus Christi, TX$53,355
Norfolk, VA$53,321
Laramie, WY$53,321
Rock Island, IL$53,287
Saginaw, MI$53,276
Jacksonville, FL$53,270
Salisbury, NC$53,259
Boise, ID$53,247
Moline, IL$53,219
Fort Myers, FL$53,202
Memphis, TN$53,191
Tulsa, OK$53,162
Waterloo, IA$53,128
Spartanburg, SC$53,071
Lincoln, NE$53,043
Fort Wayne, IN$53,031
Provo, UT$53,026
Cedar Falls, IA$52,958
San Antonio, TX$52,935
Greensboro, NC$52,912
South Bend, IN$52,906
Savannah, GA$52,844
Muskegon, MI$52,821
Birmingham, AL$52,815
Winston Salem, NC$52,788
Lake Charles, LA$52,651
Anderson, IN$52,639
Lexington, KY$52,622
Augusta, GA$52,605
Greenville, SC$52,605
Lima, OH$52,560
Wichita, KS$52,554
Tuscaloosa, AL$52,554
Columbia, SC$52,503
Springfield, OH$52,491
Asheville, NC$52,400
Bloomington, IN$52,361
Knoxville, TN$52,156
Shreveport, LA$52,150
Wilmington, NC$52,076
Roanoke, VA$52,076
Topeka, KS$51,974
Frankfort, KY$51,968
Oklahoma City, OK$51,929
Chillicothe, OH$51,906
Longview, TX$51,900
Melbourne, FL$51,895
Sioux Falls, SD$51,804
Mobile, AL$51,798
Terre Haute, IN$51,775
Altoona, PA$51,741
Amarillo, TX$51,701
Killeen, TX$51,684
Fayetteville, AR$51,639
Chattanooga, TN$51,622
Sioux City, IA$51,571
Idaho Falls, ID$51,559
Lynchburg, VA$51,514
Gainesville, FL$51,440
Portsmouth, OH$51,411
Little Rock, AR$51,400
Lafayette, LA$51,377
Youngstown, OH$51,377
Daytona Beach, FL$51,343
Clarksville, TN$51,337
Pensacola, FL$51,332
Temple, TX$51,328
Hopkinsville, KY$51,161
Erie, PA$51,150
Florence, SC$51,127
Charleston, WV$51,036
Great Falls, MT$51,008
Macon, GA$50,928
Tallahassee, FL$50,922
Fayetteville, NC$50,911
Waco, TX$50,900
Helena, MT$50,860
Pine Bluff, AR$50,838
Vincennes, IN$50,769
Lubbock, TX$50,746
Alamogordo, NM$50,712
Twin Falls, ID$50,661
Rapid City, SD$50,644
Jackson, MS$50,542
Huntington, WV$50,538
Greenville, MS$50,536
Parkersburg, WV$50,478
Montgomery, AL$50,468
Wichita Falls, TX$50,411
Springfield, MO$50,411
Biloxi, MS$50,382
Monroe, LA$50,326
Johnstown, PA$50,286
Sumter, SC$50,263
Columbus, GA$50,257
Pascagoula, MS$50,149
Abilene, TX$50,149
Kingsport, TN$50,002
Albany, GA$50,002
Gulfport, MS$49,985
Alexandria, LA$49,797
Fort Smith, AR$49,655
El Paso, TX$49,501
Las Cruces, NM$49,246
Harlingen, TX$49,101
Pocatello, ID$49,092
Florence, AL$49,018
Brownsville, TX$49,007
Mcallen, TX$48,887
Dothan, AL$48,808
Columbus, MS$48,470
Altus, OK$48,205
Lawton, OK$48,097
Pierre, SD$47,893
What Skills Can Increase a Federal Background Investigator's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Flexibility (Mentioned in 4.27% Job Postings): Adapting, responding to, and dealing with the changing environment and new situations.
ATM (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Ability to work with, troubleshoot and maintain automated teller machine to provide support to banking clients.
EHS (Mentioned in 1.52% Job Postings): Environment, health and safety, EHS is an acronym for the set that studies and implements the practical aspects of protecting the environment and maintaining health and safety at occupation.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Federal Background Investigator's salary.
Communicates Effectively: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 19%.
Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Federal Background Investigator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Federal Background Investigator roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 38% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Business Services and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Federal Background Investigator positions in Software & Networking or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Federal Background Investigator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Federal Background Investigator
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Business Services
$63,562
$31.0
20%
Financial Services
$62,503
$30.0
18%
Construction
$60,914
$29.0
15%
Aerospace & Defense
$59,325
$29.0
12%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$58,265
$28.0
10%
Federal Background Investigator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Federal Background Investigator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Yearly
Monthly
Weekly
Hourly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$48,120
Average$52,968/year
$57,351
$4,010
Average$4,414/month
$4,779
$925
Average$1,019/week
$1,103
$23
Average$25/hour
$28
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$57,351
$4,779
$1,103
$28
Average
$52,968
$4,414
$1,019
$25
25th Percentile
$48,120
$4,010
$925
$23
Salaries of Jobs related to Federal Background Investigator
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources.
We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right.
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